Mediator ordered in white nationalist case vs Michigan State

November 3, 2017

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A mediator will try to settle a dispute between Michigan State University and white nationalist Richard Spencer, who wants to speak on campus.

Michigan State was sued after it refused to rent space to a Spencer supporter. In August, the school said it was concerned about public safety, especially after violence at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Federal Judge Janet Neff on Friday ordered Michigan State and Spencer ally Cameron Padgett to pick a mediator by Nov. 17. She also set deadlines to manage Padgett’s request for a preliminary injunction. He says the school is violating free speech rights.

Spencer popularized the term “alt-right” to refer to a fringe movement that’s a mix of white nationalist, white supremacist, anti-Semitic and anti-immigration beliefs.